A woman abandons her newborn child on a business jet seat for fear of being unable to care for him, but when her circumstances change several years later, she decides to find him and take him in. “PREGNANT?! “You must be insane, Rhonda!” Her father, David Harris, was furious when he discovered she was pregnant with her lover Peter’s child.
Rhonda, unlike Peter, came from a rich family; her father ran a huge textile company. Unfortunately, her mother died when she was two, leaving her father to raise her alone. Mr. Harris gave his daughter the best of everything – clothes, food, and education – but he was also a very controlling guy who did not want her to defy his wishes.
When Rhonda discovered she was pregnant, she tried to conceal it from her father by wearing big clothing, but as the baby bump became more evident, she couldn’t hide it any longer. She told Mr. Harris about her pregnancy, but he was unimpressed. “You are going to get rid of that child, Rhonda. “Do you understand it?””No, dad,” 16-year-old Rhonda said passionately. “I will not abort the pregnancy. It’s too late now; I can’t terminate the baby.”
“Then you’ll have to figure out how you’re going to raise that child by yourself,” Mr. Harris said. “No one in our family has ever ventured to marry someone from the lower classes. So, if you want to raise that man’s blood, get out of my house!” “Fine, dad,” Rhonda said after a little pause, her eyes welling up with tears. “Perhaps if Mom was still alive, she would have backed me. But it’s fine. I will raise the child alone and prove you incorrect.”
Rhonda packed her belongings and departed that evening, severing connections with her father. Mr. Harris refused to budge and slammed the door behind her, instructing her to return only after she had aborted or placed the child in an institution. Rhonda remained silent as she booked an Uber to Peter’s house. When she came, she said that she had left her father’s house because he refused to accept their kid and that she wished to begin a new life with him.
But to her surprise, Peter refused to accept responsibility for the child. “Look, babe,” he stated. “I’m not ready to be a father.” And why did you abandon your father’s home? He could have assisted us financially when we got married and decided to start a new life. “Rhonda, get rid of that child or forget about me.”
Rhonda was shocked when she heard that. “But, Peter, this is our baby. “How can you…?”
“Look, Rhonda, that baby and you are causing me nothing but problems right now. You know what, forget about us! “It is over!” “Peter!” Rhonda cried. “You were overjoyed when you found out about the pregnancy!” “What happened?” “Because you are nobody right now, baby. “Your father kicked you out, and I can’t raise that child, so goodbye,” he snarled, slamming the door in her face.
Rhonda’s life was turned upside down in a single night! She couldn’t believe she was so heavily pregnant and neither her father nor her boyfriend were concerned for her! She left Peter’s house that evening, crying uncontrollably, and walked the streets, unsure where life would lead her. She experienced a strong ache in her belly and went into labor. She was in great pain and continued pleading with bystanders to aid her.
Fortunately, one woman noticed her and, with the assistance of her driver, helped Rhonda get to her car and transported her to the hospital. Rhonda gave birth to a baby boy that night, and when she woke up, the woman who had helped her, Angela Bamford, was sitting by her bedside. “Thank you so much for your assistance,” Rhonda said quietly. “My child… .he’s safe, right?”
“He’s perfectly fine,” Mrs. Bamford told her. “Are you new to town?” I noticed you were carrying some stuff.” Rhonda was unable to hold back her tears. She busted out crying and told Mrs. Bamford how she got there. “I don’t want to live here any longer,” Rhonda wailed. “I simply want to get out of Texas. However, I’m not convinced I can give a good life for my child.
Mrs. Bamford felt bad for Rhonda, not only because she was a homeless mother trying to decide whether or not to raise her child, but also because she reminded her of her own daughter.”Don’t say that, dear,” Mrs. Bamford reassured her. “I used to have a daughter around your age. When we discovered she was pregnant, we were enraged and kicked her out of the house.
“My husband owns an aircraft firm, and we had enough money to support our daughter. But we were averse to such an early pregnancy. I wish I could’ve helped her. She committed suicide because she could not bear it all. I do not want someone else to go through it! “It is a terrible place to be.” “I’m sorry to hear that,” Rhonda remarked, wiping away tears.
“I, too, feel sorry for her,” Mrs. Bamford explained. “However, it is too late now. Don’t worry, I’ll help you. I can book the ticket for you. Make sure your youngster has a decent life in a new environment.” “Oh no,” Rhonda gasped. “You have already done a lot for me. I’m afraid I won’t be able to return the favor.” “Please,” Mrs. Bamford asked. “If I help you, it will be like helping my daughter. And it’ll help me overcome my guilt.”
Rhonda could not say no to Mrs. Bamford at that time. She accepted the ticket, and a few days later, she was on a business class flight from AUS to JFK, ready to start over. However, when she sat on the plane with her son in her arms, she was continually worried about her capacity to provide a nice life for him. “What if I’m unable to care for my child? “What if he ends up living with me on the streets?”
These ideas had taken over Rhonda’s head to the point that she didn’t realize the flight had ended and the pilot had announced their arrival at JFK. Rhonda was horrified when she learned she’d be alone in an unfamiliar city with a newborn and no way to provide for him. Her thoughts began to spin, and her heart hammered with anxiety as she considered what lied ahead for her and her son.
It was at this point that she made a difficult decision. She chose to leave her kid on the plane in the hopes that someone would accept him and provide him with a decent life. She waited for the people in the seats next to her to leave, and when she realized no one was looking, she placed her son on the seat, along with a letter she had penned earlier, and hurriedly exited the plane. It took all of her power not to look back and snatch her baby back, but she knew it was for the best.
When one of the stewardesses, Lincy, approached the seat after the passengers had left, she was surprised to see the baby. She couldn’t help but feel awful for the child as she read the note Rhonda had left for him. I am a poor mother who cannot care for her child. If you find this note, do not waste time hunting for me. I would never have been able to offer a decent life for him.
I hope you will accept and appreciate him as your own. I would be thrilled if you named him Matthew. Matt Harris. That was the name I’d selected for him. Thirteen years later… After nearly a decade of struggling, Rhonda finally got a solid career and was doing well financially. However, there was never a day that she didn’t regret leaving her son on the plane.
She had been homeless for nearly 7 years after relocating to New York City, with the remaining seven years spent trying to obtain a steady salary and rent a place. Things had eventually worked out for her, and she believed she’d be able to give her son everything he wanted. She was, of course, ashamed of her past actions, and she felt her kid would never accept her.
But she decided to take a chance and see her boy for the first, and possibly last, time. Unfortunately, she was correct in that something would go wrong.
“My mother?” “You must be kidding me!” When she first met Matthew, he lashed out at her. “Where were you all these years? I do not need you! “I am pleased with my adoptive parents.”
Rhonda’s eyes welled up as Matthew stated that. She had sought the local police for help, telling them her entire story, and fortunately, one of the policemen had helped her locate her kid. She had feared she would never find Matthew because he may have been adopted by anyone in the world and given a new identity. She was fortunate to begin her quest in New York and find him there under the name she had given him.
She called Matthew’s adoptive mother and explained why she had abandoned him and named him Matthew Harris. Lincy, the flight attendant, and her husband ended up adopting the boy. She was apprehensive to introduce Rhonda to Matthew considering how she had left him, but she eventually agreed to give her the opportunity to explain herself after understanding her story.
“I’m sorry, Matthew,” Rhonda replied. “I know you’re upset, and you don’t want to accept me, but can’t you give me one chance?” “No way!” the boy exclaimed. “You’re a cruel woman who left me alone. If my parents hadn’t adopted me, I’d be in an orphanage now!” “But Matthew,” Rhonda stated. “I did not want to do that. Will you not allow me to explain why I left you?
Matthew was reluctant to do so, but his parents persuaded him. Rhonda did not tell him about her early pregnancy or how she was forced out when he was only 13. But she informed him she was impoverished and his father had abandoned her. Lincy went on to say that Rhonda was unable to offer a suitable life for him, so she gave him up. But Matthew still refused to accept her as his mother. “I can forgive you, maybe,” he said. “But I can’t call you Mom. “I only have one mommy.
“It’s okay, Matthew,” Rhonda responded. “Can I come to see you at least on weekends?” “Okay, I don’t mind,” the boy replied. It had been ten years since that awful day. Matthew is 23 years old and works as a data scientist in New York City. With time, he forgave Rhonda for her actions and accepted her as his mother, realizing that whatever she did was a compulsion.
Rhonda recently met Andrew at work, and they’ve been dating for a month. Rhonda wants to marry him, but first she wants to talk to Matthew about it. She also encountered Mrs. Bamford when she visited Texas two years ago, and the elder woman was relieved that things turned out well for her.